Letters to the editor for the week of April 17

staff reports
Published: April 16, 2008

Dispatcher week

Amherst County Public Safety along with other emergency communications centers throughout the country, will be joining together to honor the men and women that serve as public safety dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 13-19. 
The Amherst County Public Safety Communications Center serves as the county’s public safety answering point for police, fire and rescue incidents, using the county’s Enhanced-911 (E-911) system.
The center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week dispatching for Amherst Town Police, Amherst County Sheriff Office, Amherst Fire Department, Amherst Life Saving Crew, Monelison Fire and Rescue and Pedlar Fire and Rescue. 
In addition to these they also take calls for Amherst County Animal Control and the State Game Warden assigned to Amherst County.
In 2007, Amherst County 911 personnel processed over 143,928 telephone calls. A total of 39,068 incidents were dispatched by our dispatchers for service. 
As the first, first responder on the scene of every crime, fire and medical emergency, Amherst County Telecommunicators continue to be an invaluable resource to the public.
They perform their tasks with little to no thanks, pats on the back or recognition. They answer some calls for help that would shock, scare and traumatize others.
They carry a constant weight of responsibility to not only help save the lives of our citizens but also assure the safety of the Law Enforcement and Fire and Rescue Units they dispatch to a scene. Their jobs are vital to connecting emergency services to people in crisis and their decisions affect what are often life-or-death circumstances
Amherst County Public Safety Communications staff is a group of individuals that demonstrate a compassion for the profession they have chosen.  It takes a special person with unique skills. I admire you and I thank you for the thankless job you do. 
These employees are very skilled and dedicated:
Debbie Campbell, Supervisor
Teresa Cash, Shift Supervisor
Vickie Coffey, Shift Supervisor
Laura Brooks
Kathleen Ellis
Bill Hardwick
Lindsay Carroll
Jennifer Tyree
Brandon Ogden
Donna Waller
Clara Travers
Kenneth Williams

Gary Roakes
Amherst County Director of Public Safety